Contact List as a Dashboard Widget

[daneharnett]

Is this possible?
What does everyone think of this?
I just have a feeling of when ever im going to my contact list i hit expose click contact list then choose the person i want to message.
Could this be done as a dashboard widget where the contact list for adium and maybe even ichat were on the dashboard layer and conversations would be on the main desktop (possibly convos could be in dashboard as well im not sure)

whats the feeling?

[Catfish_Man]

It's been discussed a few times on IRC, with mixed results. One possible alternative was having the contact list be able to hide like the dock, which I quite liked.

[Ders]

That is an awesome idea -- the dock hiding.

[dchoby98]

Hiding the contact list like the dock is quite cool.

Dashboard, on the other hand, really is more for mini apps (think Desk Accessories from the OS 9 days) than for controllers for big apps. It would probably be doable, but I'm not sure it's worth it in the end.

[zaudragon]

Hiding the contact list like the dock is quite cool.

Dashboard, on the other hand, really is more for mini apps (think Desk Accessories from the OS 9 days) than for controllers for big apps. It would probably be doable, but I'm not sure it's worth it in the end.

Well look at Konfabulator

They have some iChat Contact List widgets.

[Son of a Preacher Man]

If the whole program could hide in Dashboard - to be called upon at a key press - then that would be fairly cool. But I really don't see the use of just having my contact list there, personally - it just makes it harder to find.

[cbarrett]

I really wouldn't be opposed to having some sort of Adium dashboard widget. Perhaps a way to set status, and view certain parts of your list?

[David Munch]

Contact dock-like hiding would be major cool. (Especially if it resized when you hovered the mouse over contacts.. Just like the dock! Oh well... )

A widget is a bit... Over the top IMO.

[evands]

Would it need to retrieve the buddy list and all the info via applescript? How does a widget work with a running app?

[Catfish_Man]

Would it need to retrieve the buddy list and all the info via applescript? How does a widget work with a running app?

Widgets can call objective-c code. It could use distributed notifications/objects.

[daneharnett]

If the objective-c library is already available, or someone will write it, i dont mind helping create the dashboard widget (when i get tiger).

I know html, css, js so yeah, and i guess it could be 1 widget with contact list/messages or separate it into two.

Cheers,

Dane

[troplin]

First, let me say that I'm not native english. Sorry for mistakes

In my opinion the the meaning of the dashboard is to provide some "tools" that you may need while working with another app. The wigdets should be used to gather an info, calculate something and then be still until next need.
A program that continously provides infos such as changing the contact list or receiving messages, should be a real program and not a widget.

So I think that implement the contact list as a widget wouldn't be in contradiction with that, but make a widget for the messageges would be complete nonsense. So why don't you code a widget for _every_ program as GUI?
But then you would have the same problem as before because the chaos wanders from the desktop onto the dashboard.
And only the contact list as a widget, what's the goal of that? it does only serve to see who's online, or maybe it could open a message window in the real adium program.
But why is it better to distribute the interface on two locations? Why not use apple-tab instead of the dashboard shortcut?

[wunderwood]

He's got a point. In-fact I was sort of wondering the same thing myself, what's the point. The only place where his argument falls short is that their are more uses for widgets than what he is suggesting. For example: the iTunes widget. Widgets can be connected to apps as an easy control for other apps. Their could be an adium controller that gives you information about the status of adium (like what screennames are signed on, away status, how many unread messages), and a few controls like the ability to sign sreennames on and off and set aways and stuff. You should not be chatting in dashboard. Maybe, maybe it might be useful be able to check your buddy list to see whos on rely quick, but the buddy list should be as small as possible.

[Ellmist]

If the whole program could hide in Dashboard - to be called upon at a key press - then that would be fairly cool. But I really don't see the use of just having my contact list there, personally - it just makes it harder to find.

Not exactly what you were asking; hook up this AppleScript to a key with iKey, Butler, Quicksilver, or whatever:

Code: Select all

set desiredApp to "Adium"
set frontApp to name of (info for (path to frontmost application))
if frontApp is desiredApp & ".app" then
	tell application "Finder"
		set visible of every process whose name is desiredApp to false
	end tell
else
	tell application desiredApp to activate
end if